Do politicians need sex appeal to be successful in these social media times?

One politician who lost out because of his looks was Gordon Brown. An honest, caring politician whose face was his downfall. He simply looked miserable. That might not have been too bad, but some stupid advisor must have told him he had to smile. The result was worse. Poor man.

Smiling is good for politicians, if they have good teeth. Obama had an engaging smile with perfect teeth, I think Biden has had lots of dentistry. Nigel Farage has fangs. I wonder where the teeth factor comes in the sex appeal list?
I can't remember, but is it Starmer who wants supervised teeth brushing in schools?

Joseann

Smiling is good for politicians, if they have good teeth. Obama had an engaging smile with perfect teeth, I think Biden has had lots of dentistry. Nigel Farage has fangs. I wonder where the teeth factor comes in the sex appeal list?
I can't remember, but is it Starmer who wants supervised teeth brushing in schools?

Nigel Farage has fangs.

... I shouldn't, but I did 🤣🤣

It was just the way it was slipped in with the other comments on Obama and Biden!

Does NF have fangs? I always thought he has fairly even square teeth.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202405/medium-15998-joebidensmiling.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202405/medium-824649-4933326251.jpg

Compared with Biden.
They're not very well aligned either.

Dickens

Joseann

Smiling is good for politicians, if they have good teeth. Obama had an engaging smile with perfect teeth, I think Biden has had lots of dentistry. Nigel Farage has fangs. I wonder where the teeth factor comes in the sex appeal list?
I can't remember, but is it Starmer who wants supervised teeth brushing in schools?

Nigel Farage has fangs.

... I shouldn't, but I did 🤣🤣

It was just the way it was slipped in with the other comments on Obama and Biden!

🤣 🤣
Random, that's me Dickens!

I think so many celebrities have had dental work and have such white, even teeth, it has made us very aware of teeth in general. Back in the 20thC we just accepted people's looks including their teeth (unless you were a movie star). Now it seems we criticise anyone who has less than perfect teeth, which is a shame because I'd rather people kept their natural faces. It's what makes us individual.

Dickens

Chestnut

pascal30 Keir Starmer is further left than Corbyn which I think we will soon find out. He also doesn't know what a woman is.

Keir Starmer is further left than Corbyn...

Is he?

How?

We'll probably just have to wait and see, and if he becomes PM then watch that space.

Chestnut

pascal30 Keir Starmer is further left than Corbyn which I think we will soon find out. He also doesn't know what a woman is.

Now that really is the funniest thing I’ve heard all day!
Seriously you’re clearly somebody who doesn’t follow the internal politics of the Labour Party at all.

Casdon

Chestnut

pascal30 Keir Starmer is further left than Corbyn which I think we will soon find out. He also doesn't know what a woman is.

Now that really is the funniest thing I’ve heard all day!
Seriously you’re clearly somebody who doesn’t follow the internal politics of the Labour Party at all.

Quite Casdon...

Well, he is further left in a way in that, unlike Corbyn he is actually from a working class background. So imo he has proper socialist values but is pragmatic about how far to implement them.

If that were at all true Chestnut Starmer would not be putting forward a policy platform with clearly outlined centrist policies.
I'm an insider and Corbyn was and has always been to the far left of the party.

MayBee70

Well, he is further left in a way in that, unlike Corbyn he is actually from a working class background. So imo he has proper socialist values but is pragmatic about how far to implement them.

Starmer always likes to make out that he came from a humble background and says his father was a toolmaker.

He’s telling porkies, because his father actually owned the company which was called The Oxted Tool Company so not quite as lowly as KS would have us believe.

I find that a common theme with many lefties but they usually get found out. 😉

MayBee70

Well, he is further left in a way in that, unlike Corbyn he is actually from a working class background. So imo he has proper socialist values but is pragmatic about how far to implement them.

Corbyn was middle-class, not upper class.
His mother went to university which was fairly unusual for women in those days, but she did work as a teacher.

It's strange that a company's house representative has said there has never been any record of starmers father as having a company.

MissAdventure

It's strange that a company's house representative has said there has never been any record of starmers father as having a company.

It was long before records were kept.

Starmer’s father is on record as saying young Keir worked in his company when he was young.

Pre 1844 then?

Primrose53

MissAdventure

It's strange that a company's house representative has said there has never been any record of starmers father as having a company.

It was long before records were kept.

Starmer’s father is on record as saying young Keir worked in his company when he was young.

A company can be a one man band?

labourheartlands.com/keir-starmer-my-dad-was-a-toolmaker-and-other-little-grifts/

Yes I've read that.
It provides no proof.

Why are these specific differences in background between these two supposed to make them "leftier or rightier"?

Their policies are what they are now in middle age.

To set the record straight on Starmer, Starmer’s father, in reality, operated the Oxted Tool Co. His own independent toolmaking enterprise until the 1990s.

By all accounts, he was a proficient self-employed tradesman, operating from a rented workshop on an industrial estate rather than a conventional factory setting.

Primrose and I used the same source.

Labour Heartlands is a political blog from the far left, not a reliable source of information.

Companies house would be a far better source... and...

But millionaire Keir prefers to suggest his father was much more humble.

Casdon yes I know that so why hasn’t KS ever said “I am proud of my Dad because he had his own toolmaking company which he built up himself rather than working for other people.”